# At a Two-Way Stop... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 29, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-a-two-way-stop/242597 "2004-04-29T01:07:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-a-two-way-stop/242597/1 "2004-04-29T01:07:06Z")
What if you are waiting to turn left at a two-way stop, and you arrived first. The intersection is busy so you cannot turn left. As you wait oh so patiently, an opposing car arrives at the opposing stop sign (across from you). They want to go straight. Do they have the right-of-way? I was told a left turning vehicle has to yield the right-of-way, but doesn’t it count that I was there first? Heck, otherwise, I could be sitting there all day…if more and more opposing cars come wanting to go straight! :o :eek: ☹ :mad: Never been clear on this (sorry to say)…just kinda been overly cautious and going on instinct. - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-a-two-way-stop/242597/2 "2004-04-29T01:42:59Z")
I’ll allow the **first** car to go straight. IMHO, them arriving **second** but going **straight** _outranks_ me arriving **first** but turning **left**. But only the first car. I make it very clear to any others that I feel **I’m** next! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-a-two-way-stop/242597/3 "2004-04-29T02:13:28Z")
Or, I could just keep going around the world to the right! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![EnginNerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ea924/32.png) [@EnginNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnginNerd)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-a-two-way-stop/242597/4 "2004-04-29T02:20:33Z")
I’ve always gone by the rule that whoever gets to the intersection first goes first (of course, after the way with no stop signs clears up). According to my Colorado Driver Handbook: > [@](#): > > You must yield the right-of-way to the > vehicle that reached the intersection first. When more than > one vehicle reaches the intersection at the same time the > vehicle on the left must yield the right-of-way and allow > the vehicle on the right to go first. ---
**Author:** ![brix11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@brix11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brix11)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-a-two-way-stop/242597/5 "2004-04-29T14:33:39Z")
The Pennsylvania driver’s manual, says pretty much the same thing, but only in reference to a _four-way_ stop. Above that, it states: > [@](#): > > Drivers turning left must yield to oncoming vehicles going straight ahead. I always yield when turning left, _unless_ I’m the first person to reach an intersection with a _four-way_ stop sign. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-a-two-way-stop/242597/6 "2004-04-29T14:36:49Z")
One of our local columnists ran a story on this last year- he had a state police traffic expert as a consultant on the story. The poop in Michigan is that at two way stops, the car that arrived first has right of way over the car that arrived second. Both of course yield to the thru street, but after that it is first come, first served. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-a-two-way-stop/242597/7 "2004-04-29T22:35:13Z")
> [@](#): > > Or, I could just keep going around the world to the right! There was a British documentary on Discovery Channel about driving which featured a woman who had been in an accident making a right turn (which would be a left turn in the US, i.e. it crosses the other lane). She was so traumatized she could **no longer ever make right turns!** If she had to drive somewhere she would take out a map and plan a big spiralling route in order to get where she was going. I was so hoping the interviewer would ask for her license, tear it up, and tell her she is no longer competent to drive a car!